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Restaurants and Food Service

Operating a restaurant or food service business can be energy-intensive. Restaurants, cafes and institutional kitchens can realize significant energy savings by upgrading to high-efficiency equipment for heating and cooling, lighting, cooking, and refrigeration.

Solutions

Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC)

  • Food service businesses can reduce energy costs by upgrading to energy efficient heating and cooling systems, or by adding controls to existing systems. Efficiency Maine offers incentives for:

    HVAC Solutions

    • Ductless Heat Pumps
    • Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems
    • Heat Pump Rooftop Units (RTUs)
    • Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs)
    • And more

    Click here to learn more. 

Lighting

  • In many restaurants, lights are on for 16-20 hours a day. Upgrading to high-efficiency lighting across your facility can reduce energy costs and enhance the customer and employee experience. Efficiency Maine offers incentives for interior and exterior high-efficiency lighting solutions including:

    Lighting Solutions

    • LED Retrofit Kits
    • New LED Fixtures
    • Exterior Lighting
    • Controls
    • And more

    Click here to learn more.

Refrigeration 

  • Refrigerators and freezers are an important part of every commercial kitchen. Efficiency Maine provides incentives for refrigeration controls and the purchase of new energy-efficient equipment and retrofits for existing equipment.

    Refrigeration Solutions

    • Scroll Compressors
    • High-Efficiency Evaporator Fan Motors
    • Strip Curtain for Cooler or Freezer
    • Door Heater Controls for Cooler or Freezer
    • Evaporator Fan Motor Controls
    • Floating Head Pressure Controls
    • And more

    Click here to learn more. 

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation

  • Demand Control Kitchen Ventilation systems regulate fan speed depending on real-time demand rather than functioning at full capacity all day. Demand control ventilation systems can reduce energy required by ventilation as much as 65%.
    Click here to learn more. 

Water Heating

  • Businesses can reduce water heating costs by upgrading to high-efficiency water heating systems and choosing a system that meets each restaurant’s needs.
    Click here to learn more. 

Get Started

Find a Qualified PartnerReady to upgrade your facility with high-efficiency equipment and appliances? Work with an Efficiency Maine Qualified Partner in order to be eligible for these incentives. See our Qualified Partner video for more information on this process.

Click here to find a Qualified Partner working near you. If you work with a contractor that is not yet a Qualified Partner, urge your contractor to find out more information here. As part of the project approval process, you will accept the C&I Prescriptive Program’s Terms and Conditions. If you’re interested in becoming a Qualified Partner, click here to see our Become A Qualified Partner page.

If you’re interested in getting started with an energy efficiency project in your business but don’t know where to start, you can sign-up for a virtual customer consultation here.

Additional Information

  • EnergyStar.gov has guidance for restaurants and other food businesses. Click here to learn more